<div><b>Engrossing tales from the fifth grade</b><br><br><i>Every child is like </i><br><i>A little world with ever-changing weather,</i><br><i>Nights and mornings. And somehow, here we are,</i><br><i>Spinning through the universe together.</i><br><i> </i><br>Unforgettable students in this fifth-grade classroom reveal their private feelings about birth and death, a missing bicycle and a first kiss, as well as their thoughts about recess, report cards, fitting in, and family.<br> <br>Using a rich array of traditional poetic forms, such as sonnets, sestinas, and acrostics, Helen Frost interweaves the stories of the kids in Room 214 and their teacher. A final section giving detailed analyses of the twenty-two forms will be of special interest.<br></div>